Pat,
I've converted a pair of P1K F3A's to sound by swapping out the P1K chassis for P2K chassis with factory QSI sound.
If you look, you can find new P2K F's with sound "clearance priced" for about $100 or so, which is what you'd pay for a good sound decoder and speaker w/enclosure.
And the swap itself is easy, there is one roof brace in rear of the P1K body that the P2K's don't have. Pry that brace out (both of mine came out easily) and the P1K body will drop right onto the P2K sound chassis.
Then you can sell the P2K shells and the P1K chassis to recoup some of your investment.
Thanks for the reply Jim.
I was thinking about the current P2K EMD F3 units that are available as either DC or DCC/Sound. I was wondering if both chassis were the same except one has a decoder and speaker or did Walthers have two different chassis, one for each version.
The reason I ask is that there are some standard DC units still available in my roadname and I would like to convert them to DCC/Sound if the chassis would permit it.
Pat
It depends on which' version of the F you have. I have 3 of the original P1K versions. They have a small light board with markings to 'cut' land patterns and you have to solder your decoder wires to them, but no instructions. I have not seen the non-sound versions from Walthers, but I suspect they may have a a decoder socket in them. There is a lot of room on the back of the unit for a speaker. My ABA set of the early PK1 version have the following:
Complete 'hard wire' conversion with a Digitrax DH163 series decoder. The 'booster' unit also has a MRC 'Sounder' sound only sound decoder/speaker in it(I told you it has lots of room). I bought the 'Sounder' because it was cheap - sort of expecting it to 'die' like most MRC decoders. Three years later it is still making very good sound - maybe it is the poor motor control in their regular line of decoders that causes the issues. I also have 'Sounders' in three P2K E units.
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
Does anyone know if a standard DC version, Walthers Proto 2000 locomotive is the same as its DCC/sound counterpart sans the decoder and speaker? Is the chassis the same as a DCC version, which would only require installing a speaker and decoder versus having to make modifications to the chassis if one wanted to convert a DC unit to DCC/sound? Thanks.